Support for type 1s navigating pregnancy (from a fellow T1 mum)

[AbyType1]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to say hello and share a little bit about my journey, in case it’s helpful to anyone here.

I’m a type 1 diabetic myself, and I’ve been through two pregnancies with T1. I know firsthand how intense, medicalised, and at times overwhelming that journey can feel — physically and emotionally. Amidst the constant blood sugar checks, appointments, and planning, I realised how little support there was for the emotional and mindset side of pregnancy for diabetics.

If you’re pregnant now, planning a pregnancy, or just curious, I’d love to connect.

Feel free to ask me anything, or even just say hi.

Much love,
Aby

 

[Evergreen]

Hi Aby,

That’s so lovely of you! I agree to a certain extent that there’s limited space for emotional wellbeing.

I will say though that I believe pregnancy care is amazing and I actually feel more held now that I’m pregnant than I did not being pregnant.

Best wishes,
Anne

 

[Inka]

Welcome @AbyType1 🙂 Like @Evergreen I felt very well cared for in my three pregnancies with Type 1. My last pregnancy was high risk (for other reasons) and the care I had was exemplary.

Emotionally I think there’s an extra layer of worry with Type 1, but honestly I think every woman worries during pregnancy so we share that with them, just with the added nuisance of watching our blood sugar like a hawk!

 

[AbyType1]

Hi Anne,

Thank you so much for your kind message — and I absolutely love hearing that you’re feeling so held and supported in your pregnancy That’s honestly how it SHOULD be, and it’s wonderful to know that the care you're receiving reflects that.

I totally agree — there’s amazing care out there. I think what I really noticed (especially after my first birth) was how much support dropped off once the baby arrived. Suddenly, the focus shifts entirely to the baby, and as a diabetic, that postpartum period can be really rough — physically and emotionally.

That’s part of what inspired me to offer support that includes mindset and emotional wellbeing — not just for pregnancy, but for that often-overlooked fourth trimester too.

Wishing you a calm, grounded rest of your pregnancy and beyond.

Much love,
Aby

 

[AbyType1]

Welcome @AbyType1 🙂 Like @Evergreen I felt very well cared for in my three pregnancies with Type 1. My last pregnancy was high risk (for other reasons) and the care I had was exemplary.

Emotionally I think there’s an extra layer of worry with Type 1, but honestly I think every woman worries during pregnancy so we share that with them, just with the added nuisance of watching our blood sugar like a hawk!

Thank you for the warm welcome and I love hearing that your care was so positive across all three pregnancies — especially during a high-risk one. It’s really reassuring to hear stories like yours, and I know they give others hope too.

And yes — completely agree. That emotional layer of worry is part of pregnancy for so many women, and with T1 we just carry this extra little passenger (the blood sugar hawk!) that never let's up. I think what struck me personally was how little space there was to actually process those feelings, or be supported emotionally beyond the medical side of things.

That’s really what drew me to this work — helping other type 1s feel seen, calm, and emotionally resourced in a journey that’s often quite full-on from start to finish.

Thank you again for sharing

Much love,
Aby

 

[Lauren]

Aw what a nice chat!
I am currently 14 weeks and also have a 7yo daughter. I feel very well looked after by my diabetes team and I'm lucky my workplace are also very supportive. It is definitely an extra pressure constantly obsessing over BG levels but I can't believe how fast the first trimester went so hoping it won't bog me down too much before baby arrives.

I'm really looking forward to knowing the gender so I can start thinking about names etc, and so it feels a bit more 'real' rather than just a massive health issue! Although it started to feel more real last week during my ultrasound - there was an actual baby on the screen, waving its arms! I felt silly for feeling so surprised haha. But it was lovely to see.

 

[Evergreen]

Aw what a nice chat!
I am currently 14 weeks and also have a 7yo daughter. I feel very well looked after by my diabetes team and I'm lucky my workplace are also very supportive. It is definitely an extra pressure constantly obsessing over BG levels but I can't believe how fast the first trimester went so hoping it won't bog me down too much before baby arrives.

I'm really looking forward to knowing the gender so I can start thinking about names etc, and so it feels a bit more 'real' rather than just a massive health issue! Although it started to feel more real last week during my ultrasound - there was an actual baby on the screen, waving its arms! I felt silly for feeling so surprised haha. But it was lovely to see.

I keep being surprised about the similarities between our pregnancies! I felt exactly the same haha! Cannot wait to find out the sex and also somehow felt incredibly surprised there was an actual baby on the screen! It’s just such a little miracle!

 

[Evergreen]

Thank you for the warm welcome and I love hearing that your care was so positive across all three pregnancies — especially during a high-risk one. It’s really reassuring to hear stories like yours, and I know they give others hope too.

And yes — completely agree. That emotional layer of worry is part of pregnancy for so many women, and with T1 we just carry this extra little passenger (the blood sugar hawk!) that never let's up. I think what struck me personally was how little space there was to actually process those feelings, or be supported emotionally beyond the medical side of things.

That’s really what drew me to this work — helping other type 1s feel seen, calm, and emotionally resourced in a journey that’s often quite full-on from start to finish.

Thank you again for sharing

Much love,
Aby

That’s a really lovely goal Aby!

I know what you mean about support dropping off after the birth and the focus being entirely on the baby! I actually think that’s a genuine problem across maternity care.

I had my first child before I had diabetes (or actually I was diagnosed at 35 weeks but not with type 1) and my experience was very similar as a ‘non-diabetic’. It made me feel a little bit like a vessel for carrying precious goods and as soon as delivery was over I didn’t matter too much. I understand that feels worse when you’ve got diabetes to contend with, but I genuinely do believe that care should be better across maternity services

 

[LunaLG]

Hello @AbyType1 - I’ve been using the forum for a few years and this week made my first post on the pregnancy section after finding out we’re expecting our first baby 🙂 still early days for us but I’ve found it a huge comfort knowing that this forum is here as always to help in the tough moments.

I am finding the diabetes management challenging but OK. However, my family are another story! I feel like my husband and parents are all so concerned about my health they are not letting themselves get excited about the possibility of our new family member. My husband has alerts on his phone for my Libre when my sugars are low, and the pregnancy hypos are really worrying him, he comes home from work sometimes quite upset because he can see I’ve had several drops in the day. Curious if anyone else has had similar experiences with their loved ones panicking about pregnancy and diabetes!

 

[AbyType1]

Aw what a nice chat!
I am currently 14 weeks and also have a 7yo daughter. I feel very well looked after by my diabetes team and I'm lucky my workplace are also very supportive. It is definitely an extra pressure constantly obsessing over BG levels but I can't believe how fast the first trimester went so hoping it won't bog me down too much before baby arrives.

I'm really looking forward to knowing the gender so I can start thinking about names etc, and so it feels a bit more 'real' rather than just a massive health issue! Although it started to feel more real last week during my ultrasound - there was an actual baby on the screen, waving its arms! I felt silly for feeling so surprised haha. But it was lovely to see.

Ohh I’m so glad you joined the chat ! 14 weeks already — you’re doing amazingly well juggling all that BG brain space alongside pregnancy and life with a 7-year-old

And yes, that moment on the ultrasound when you see your little one waving — I remember feeling the exact same. Like, wait a second… there’s a baby in there? After all the stats and scans and stress, it suddenly becomes real in the most magical way. And you're not silly at all — you're human, and doing such a beautiful job.

It’s wonderful to hear you’ve got a great diabetes team and workplace behind you. That kind of wraparound support is everything. But it’s still a lot — the mental load doesn’t vanish, even when things are “going well,” ! If you ever want to chat about names, feelings, or just need a breather from the BG juggling act, I’m always here with a virtual cuppa ☕

Big hug to you and your bump,
Aby

 

[AbyType1]

I keep being surprised about the similarities between our pregnancies! I felt exactly the same haha! Cannot wait to find out the sex and also somehow felt incredibly surprised there was an actual baby on the screen! It’s just such a little miracle!

Ohh I LOVE this!!!! it really is the most amazing little miracle, isn’t it?
It’s so reassuring to hear how similar your experiences have been — we spend so much time thinking about numbers and planning that sometimes we forget we’re actually growing a whole human inside us!

Have you got any name favourites yet or doing the “we’ll decide when we see them” route?

Big hugs,
Aby

 

[AbyType1]

That’s a really lovely goal Aby!

I know what you mean about support dropping off after the birth and the focus being entirely on the baby! I actually think that’s a genuine problem across maternity care.

I had my first child before I had diabetes (or actually I was diagnosed at 35 weeks but not with type 1) and my experience was very similar as a ‘non-diabetic’. It made me feel a little bit like a vessel for carrying precious goods and as soon as delivery was over I didn’t matter too much. I understand that feels worse when you’ve got diabetes to contend with, but I genuinely do believe that care should be better across maternity services

Thank you so much and yes, you’ve put it so perfectly: that feeling of being “a vessel for carrying precious goods” really hits home I’ve heard that from so many women, diabetic or not, and it’s honestly heartbreaking how common it is.

You’re absolutely right... there’s something deeply missing in how we’re held emotionally after birth. The spotlight shifts so quickly to the baby, and meanwhile our bodies, hormones, identities, and (in our case) blood sugars are all still in complete flux. I felt that drop-off so strongly — and it’s one of the main reasons I started offering support beyond just the birth prep.

Thank you for sharing your story. I really believe we need to keep having these conversations if we want things to change

Sending big hugs,
Aby

 

[AbyType1]

Hello @AbyType1 - I’ve been using the forum for a few years and this week made my first post on the pregnancy section after finding out we’re expecting our first baby 🙂 still early days for us but I’ve found it a huge comfort knowing that this forum is here as always to help in the tough moments.

I am finding the diabetes management challenging but OK. However, my family are another story! I feel like my husband and parents are all so concerned about my health they are not letting themselves get excited about the possibility of our new family member. My husband has alerts on his phone for my Libre when my sugars are low, and the pregnancy hypos are really worrying him, he comes home from work sometimes quite upset because he can see I’ve had several drops in the day. Curious if anyone else has had similar experiences with their loved ones panicking about pregnancy and diabetes!

Hi lovely,
Congratulations!!! I’m so glad you posted here. It’s such a huge transition, and it sounds like you're carrying not only the weight of managing your own diabetes but also your family’s worries. That’s a lot for one person. You're doing AMAZINGLY well

What you said about your husband really hit home, I had a very similar experience during both of my pregnancies. My partner was sometimes concerned, especially about the lows, and sometimes that concern ended up making me feel more anxious, not less. It’s hard when the people who love us most go into “fix-it” mode without fully understanding what we actually need.

One thing that helped us was learning together that in early pregnancy, it’s actually the highs that carry more risk to baby, not the lows. Frequent lows might feel scary, but unless they’re extreme, they’re not harmful to your little one. That shift in understanding made a huge difference for my husband’s mindset.

If your partner hasn’t already, it could be really helpful for him to learn more about type 1 and pregnancy — ideally through a course or support space that focuses specifically on it. It helps move him from panic to partnership.

Sending you so much love, this stage can feel lonely, but you're NOT alone in this. And your baby is lucky to have a mum doing such a brave job

Aby x

 

[AbyType1]

Hi everyone,
I wanted to share something that’s on my heart especially after chatting with some of you lovely people here.

We often talk about the highs and lows, the insulin ratios, the Libre alarms… but what we don’t talk about enough is the mental load of pregnancy with Type 1. The constant calculations. The guilt after a spike. The pressure to get it “right” all the time. The appointments, the planning, the panicking — and how all of that lives in our heads, day in and day out.

And while we’re often told to focus on blood sugars (which of course matter!), the truth is chronic emotional stress affects our pregnancy too. It impacts our nervous system, our ability to sleep, to bond with the baby, to feel safe in our own bodies.

Your stress matters. Your feelings matter. Your peace matters.

This journey is already medicalised enough. You deserve emotional support, not just more checklists.

If you’ve ever felt like the mental and emotional side of this is the hardest part, I see you. You’re not alone, and you’re doing so much better than you think.

Has anyone else felt this too? How do you cope with the mental weight of it all?

With love,
Aby x

 

[Inka]

@AbyType1 The best person for @LunaLG ‘s partner to talk to is her. People with Type 1 who are pregnant are supported by a large team for free. There are also plenty of books and support - again for free. Nothing wrong with hypnobirthing but, again, you can get support for free and you don’t need special support just because you have Type 1! In addition, anyone - Type 1 or not - should speak to their midwife if they’re struggling with the mental load after birth.

In addition, this section of the forum offers support for pregnant women with diabetes from people who are more than happy to share, tell their stories, offer things that worked for them - all for free.

 

[AbyType1]

@AbyType1 The best person for @LunaLG ‘s partner to talk to is her. People with Type 1 who are pregnant are supported by a large team for free. There are also plenty of books and support - again for free. Nothing wrong with hypnobirthing but, again, you can get support for free and you don’t need special support just because you have Type 1! In addition, anyone - Type 1 or not - should speak to their midwife if they’re struggling with the mental load after birth.

In addition, this section of the forum offers support for pregnant women with diabetes from people who are more than happy to share, tell their stories, offer things that worked for them - all for free.

Hey Inka,
Thanks for jumping in — and I totally agree that speaking directly to your care team and accessing the free support that’s available is so important. I’m a big advocate for that too

At the same time, I also know from personal experience (two pregnancies with Type 1, both with excellent hospital care) that even with a great medical team, the emotional and mental load often goes unspoken. Especially the constant decision fatigue, burnout, and fear of “messing up” the numbers — and how that continues into birth planning and postpartum. It’s not always easy for partners or midwives to fully understand that experience from the inside out.

That’s where I’ve found hypnobirthing can be incredibly helpful — not as a replacement for clinical care, but as a gentle, evidence-informed way to regulate your nervous system, reduce stress hormones, and feel emotionally supported. For people with T1, that stress-reduction isn’t a luxury — it directly affects insulin sensitivity, blood glucose levels, and birth outcomes. So for some, that kind of extra support can make a huge difference.

My goal here isn’t to sell anything or suggest people need to spend money. It’s simply to say — if someone wants that deeper emotional support tailored to the unique experience of living with Type 1 during pregnancy, it does exist. And they’re not weak or “extra” for needing it.

Much love,
Aby x

 

[Inka]

It certainly sounds like you’re selling something, however kindly or subtly you phrase things, @AbyType1 There’s no need to have mentioned your business at all, is there, so why mention it so many times? Indeed, you’ve even reiterated it all in your post above, hoping that someone will message you for details. Your first post here was edited by a moderator, presumably to remove advertising, and you’ve continued to mention your business at every opportunity. Forget your business and just share any tips you have freely and openly here on the public forum as a mum with Type 1 not an entrepreneur.